Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1887-05-04
Facts About Planets.

Venus, SO well known 10 us all as the
loveliest object in the heavens, the eve
ming and the morning star, resembles
closely our own earth. Its size is about
the same, its diameter being 1850
miles; it's day is almost the same length
and it's density is rather less than five
times that of water. It revolvcs round
the sun at a distance of $4,000, 900
miles in the space of 224 days. Like
Mercury, however, Venus is moonless.
Passing the earth in the meantime, we
came to the well-known red planet
Mars. This planet is particularly in
teresting IN many points of view.
Next to Mercury, it is the smallest of
the four inferior planets, it's diameter
being only 1920 miles, OF little more
than the earth OF Venus. It's distance
from the sun is III, 900, 900 miles, and
it completes it's circuit in 687 days.
The length of its days does not differ
materially from that of Il own. Mars
has two moons, and n of them pre-
sents Il phenomenon unique in the sys-
tenn. No other 100 behaves like this
one, for it goes round Mars about three
times every day: that is to say, it goes
faster round Mars than Mars does on
its w axis. Imagine our moon rising
and setting three times every twenty
four hours. Another interesting fea-
ture in Mars is this: We can see
through Il telescopes what seems to
be the confagration of it's continents
and oceans and also accumulation of
snow at its poles.
We next turn our attention to the
other group of planets-Jupiter, Saturn,
Uranus, and Neptune. These are dis
tinguished by their enormous size, i'm
mense distance from the sun, rapid
revolution on their own axis, and very
small density. The change from Mars
to Jupiter is indeed remarkable. The
latter planet, familiar to every obser-
YER of the heavens, is indeed q giant
among giants. In mass it is equal to
all other planets put together, its di-
ameter being Tic less than So, 700 miles,
and it's distance from the sun 682, 000,-
900 miles. 1t takes4,532 days to COM
plete it's yearly revolution. Although
of such enormous dimensions, it turns
From the small density (1.38) of Jupi-
ter we should imagine it to be composed,
in great part at least, of fluid or CASE
GUS matter not yet cooled sufficiently
to form solid land. From certain phe-
nomena on its surface it is almost COM
pletely enveloped in clouds, and it is
doubtful if we have actually seen the
real solid nucleus of this planet. Jul
piter is attended by four moons, which
r~evolye around him at various distances.
The study of these bodies is of great
interest; from Watching their move
ments we got the first hint of velocity
of light. Nexti n order in our outward
journey comes Saturn, at the distance
Of $4,000, 900 miles from the sun, and
taking no less than 10,759 days to COM
plete it's revolution around that lum-
mary. This planet though less than
Jupiter, is still Of gigantic dimensions,
its diameter being 1000 miles. Sat
urn is the lightest Of all the planets
its density being only 0.75, SO that if
placed in huge ocean it would float
with a fourth Of its bulk up above the
level Of the water. The most remark
able thing, however, about this planet,
is the system Of rings by which it is
surrounded. What these rings are
have long been a puzzle to astrono-
mers, but the most plausible explain
alton seems to be that they arc compos-
ed of myriad hosts Of small metoric bod
les circulating at some distance
round the bod.yof the planet. Saturn
has no less than eight p under hel
control and if IL has any inhabitants
like ourselves-which is not likely,
hoWeYer-the heavens must be q
strange sight to them, with these eight
moons End meteoric warns 81 QsseW's
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